Collapsible fruit or berry box.



-H. NICKELSEN, A. McMlLLAN & H. PEMBERTONJ COLLAPSIBLE FRUIT 0R BERRY BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30,1911- Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARVEY NICKELSEN, 0F JUNEAU, AND ANGUS MGMILLAN AND HAROLD PEMBERTON,

' 0F DOUGLAS, TERRITORY OF ALASKA. I

COLLAPSIBLE FRUIT OR BERRY BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nora- 6, 1917.

Application filed June 30, 1917. Serial No. 177,988. f

glas, in the Territory of Alaska, have jointly invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Collapsible Fruit or Berry Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in collapsible fruit or berry boxes; and the object of our invention is to provide a collapsible box, adapted for use as afruit or berry box or .for other purposes, which may be readily manufactured at small cost, which may be shipped in knocked-down or collapsed form, which may be readily knockeddown into collapsed form and as readily set up into box form, which is strong and durable, and which is preferably held together without the use of staples, brads or other similar means.

The novel features of our invention are hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing,whioh illustrates our invention as we prefer that it be accomplished, Figure l is a perspective,

isometric View of our improved box in setarea dentical to the polygon which would he arrived at by cutting-one of thesides 2 up form ready for use. Fig.2 is a side view of the box in set-up form. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the box in setup form, looking directly at the box from the plane c0. Fig. 4: is a view of the strip, when extended, from which when flexed the box body is formed.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts in the different-views.

The term sides, in the following descriptions and claims, embraces the ends of the box.

The body of the box is formed, preferably from a single strip of the form shown in Fig. A, of suitable material, such as sheet wood or cardboard, preferably waxed, or glazed on the interior sides of similar material. I

The strip 1 is provided with a plurality of Y-sha-ped flexible joints ab0, the long leg ab of the flexible joints a"b0 being at right angles to the. upper longitudinal edge of the strip 1, so disposed as'to divide the main portion of the strip 1 into four the box, or

equal sides 2. The strip 1 is also provided with two irregular shaped and dissimilar ends, 2'. e., the projection A, and the overlap 7, so arranged as to interlock, thereby permltting the strip 1 to be, preferably, releasably fastened or lockedinto the form of a box body, and the flexible joints a7)c are so disposed as to form the triangular seg ments cbc.'i V

The strip is alsoprovided with a plurallty of flexible joints bd, which are extensions of the long legs a b of the flexible joints ab-0, but whose flexibility is nega- UVG'OI reverse, in that, it occurs on the reverse side of the strip 1 to that on which the flexibility'of the Y-s'haped flexible joints ab c.occur s.

The'strip" 1 is further provided with .a plurality of angular extensions 0cZ,-'c so projected or extended below the general trend of the'lowerlongitudinal edge of the strip 1 that the; apices (Z of the angular'extensions 0d0 and the apiccs b of the angular segments 0b-c are, preferably,

equal distances from the line of general trend of the lower longitudinal edge of the strip 1; and being so disposed as to form-the parallelograms 6 each of which is composed of two equal equilateraltriangles bcd,

with a common base b-d.

The overlap 7 is, preferably, in form and on a diagonal line extending froma, on the flexible joint ab, across side 2, to?) on the next adjacent flexible joint ab. f

' The projection 4 is, preferably, an irregular shaped projection whose lower point or corner eflies, preferably, in and never below or notched side of the projection 4: is, preferably, cut-to lie in conformity with and in juxtaposition to the inner side of the flexible' oint 0b when the strip 1 is setup inbox body form.

The slot 3 is a'slot cut through the flexible joint ab which is common to the overlap 7 and the next adjacent side 2. The upper edges of the slot 3 and of the projection 4 are an equal distance vertically from the upper longitudinal edge of the strip 1, but the lower edge of the slot 3, is, preferably, a

moderately closer distance to the line of general trend of the lower longitudinal edge of the strip 1 than is the lower edge of the projection at at its point of junction to the side 2 next adjacent to it, thereby providing an open cut or slot 3, preferably, a little longer than the length of the junction be tween the projection 4 and the side 2 next adjacent to it.

. The Y-shaped flexible joints a b cand the flexible joints Z) ,(Z may be formed-,by scoring, creasing or slightly cutting the material. The scoriations or creases of the Y- shaped flexible joints abc aredisposed on the reverse or opposite: side ofthe strip 1 from which the scoriations or creases ofthe flexible joints b- Z are disposed, thereby creating a positive and a negative or reverse flexibility. v I

The strip 1 is brought into the set-up form of a box body by flexing the strip 1 about the Y-shaped flexible joints (4-6-0 in such manner that the scoriations or creasesrof those joints will be ,on the outer side of, the box body. The projection 4 isbrought around on the outside of the overlapf? ,and inserted from the outside through the slot 3 into the interior. of the box body, thus bringing the projection e into juxtaposition with, and bearing a slight outward pressure against, the inner side of one of the sides 2, ,withthe lower part of the inner .or notched port-ion of the projection l in conformity with andin juxtaposition to the inner side of the flexible joint -1) of, that particular side 2 against which the projection at presses,

and likewise bringing the overlapf'? .into

juxtaposition with, and bearing a slight outwardly pressure against, the inner side of the adjacent side 2, with the edge (if? of the overlap 7 in conformity with and,.. 1n juxtaposition to the inner side of the flexible joint 0b of that particular side 2 against which the overlap 7 presses. 'The flexible short legs 0Z of, the Y-shaped ,flexible joints abo, whose flexibility is positive by being disposed by meansof scoriations or creases onthe outerside of the strip 1 when 'in boxbody position, and the flexible oints w, 7)(Z, whoseflexibility is reverse or negative by; being disposed by means of scoriations or creases on the interior side of the strip 1 i when in boxbody position, being of equal length, the parallelograms 6, upon the flexring of the strip -1 into set-up, form, are,

thrown into two equal invertedv equilateral triangles b-0cl, with the apices d of the angular extensions,0-cl0 extending to- 1 body, and the flexible joints b d, which are the common bases of thetwo equal inverted A equilateral triangles b,0- (Z, are thrown into a: common horizontal'plane, which lies at right angles to the long legs ab of the Y-shaped flexible joints a-b-0 and par nishing an additional outward pressure to allel to both the upper and lower longitudinal edges ofthe. strip 1. The upper surfaces of the flexible joints b-cl, when so flexed inwardly and upwardly, form four rests, in a common horizontal plane, for the support of the bottom member of the box, and the .box body, .when so transformed upon the is :fitted into the body and by the weight v upon it of that foreign substance or article for which the box is selected .as'a container. The bottom 5, as well as serving the usual function ofjaj bottom, also assists in retainthebox body in set-up position by furthejprojectionl ;and to the oyerlap 7 against the respect ve sides2 with which they 'eome :in contacband by thusholdin'g the projection,& and the overlap 7 more tightly interlocked. I a

, Weare aware that prior to our invention collapsible fruit or berry boxes have been where'lthe box body xconsistsof a sin-- gle strip flexed at the four corners of the body transverse flexible oints and ha in'ga,removablelbottom member, Vi e there fore do not clai'msuch invention broadly; but

We'claim; 7

lines, fastened or locked together by fmeans of-projec'tioinfslot and overlap, hating the four lower corners of, the ,body, flexed inwardly and upwardly to form supportsi1pon which a removable bottom, member is supported in. al horizontal plane, all substaiitiallyv as setforth.

2, Ajcollapsible box body, consisting of a,

single strip flexed by creases orscoriating lines, fastened or locked together 'm'e'ans ofprojection, slot and overlap, having the four lower corners of the body each" proyided with two angular portions, flexedjn- ,wardly and upwardly toward the centerof ,the inter or ofthe box [bod'y,,whose 'iipper edges, which lie in a common'horiZont'al ,plane that is at right angles to the vertical ward the centerof the interior of, the box 7 sidesof thebox'body, support a removable a bottom member ina' horizontal position and vided with a plurality of flexible joints which extend vertically from the upper longitudinal edge of the strip toward the lower longitudinal edge of the strip, but which before intersecting it branch ofl into a Y shape, and provided with a plurality of angular extensions projecting from the lower longitudinal edge, and having the angular extensions transversed by vertical flexible joints extending from the apices of the extensions to the crotches of the Ys, and having the vertical flexible joints of the angular extensions provided with a reverse or negative flexibility, and having a removable bottom member which rests in a horizontal plane upon the upper surfaces of the vertical flexible joints of the angular extensions when the strip is flexed into set-up form about the several flexible joints, all substantially as shown.

4. A collapsible box body, consisting of a single strip flexed by creases or scoriating lines, fastened or locked together by means of projection, slot and overlap, and provided with a plurality of angular extensions projecting from the line of general trend of the lower longitudinal edge, and provided with positive and reverse or negative flexibility obtained by a plurality of creases or scoriating lines on the main portion of the strip and creases or scoriating lines on the an-.

gular extensions on the reverse side of the strip, and having a removable bottom which is supported in a horizontal plane upon the upper edges of the four sets of equal inverted equilateral triangles which are created by the positive and reverse or negative flexibility given the strip and its angular extensions, all substantially as set forth.

5. A collapsible box body, consisting of a single strip flexed by creases or scoriating lines, fastened or locked together by means of projection, slot and overlap, and provided with a plurality of angular extensions projected from the line of general trend of the lower longitudinal edge, and having a plurality of flexible joints extending vertically from the apices of the angular extensions to the upper. longitudinal edge, and having the vertical flexible joints broken into a positive and reverse or negative flexibility, and provided with a plurality of shorter positive flexible joints extending from the vertical flexible joints, at the point of demarcation between positive and reverse flexibility, to a point of intersection on the lower longitudinal edge of the strip with the angular extensions, and Provided with a removable bottom member, which is supported in a horizontal plane upon the angular extensions which, by the positive and reverse flexibility of the several joints, are flexed toward the center of the interior of the box body, all as substantially set forth.

In witness whereof we have hereunto signed our names in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARVEY NIGKELSEN. 1,. 5.

ANGUS MCMILLAN. [n s] HAROLD PEMBERTON. [L.S.] Witnesses:

It. E. ROBERTSON,

A. H. MANN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

